The Saudi paper Asharq al-Awsat ran a report on Iran’s role in assisting the Resistance in Iraq. It said as soon as the war started on February 28 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forced moved into Iraq to advise and direct attacks by the Resistance against the U.S. They joined advisors who were already in the country. The operations are run out of a command center in Baghdad with sub-branches in Najaf, Diyala and Basra.
The U.S. and Israel has gone after these Iranian assets. In early March Kataib Hezbollah’s base in Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhr was hit allegedly targeting Iranians. Later a house in the Jadriya neighborhood of Baghdad killed several Iranians who were directing operations out of Jurf al-Sakhr.
This partially contradicts a report by Al Hurra that said Quds Force commander General Esmail Qurna told the Resistance to act on their own initiative and that the Iranians were only there to assist their allies in carrying out attacks instead of commanding them.
Given the fact that Tehran created the Resistance groups such as Kataib Hezbollah, and arms and funds them neither of these stories should be a surprise.
Iran has been directly involved in attacks in Iraq since the start of the war as well. Six missiles from Iran hit two Peshmerga bases from the 5th and 7th Divisions in Soran, Irbil killing six and wounding thirty. Tehran has gone after Iranian Kurdish opposition forces in Kurdistan but this is the first time they have hit the Peshmerga. The Kurds are considered the Americans closest allies in Iraq and the Resistance claims that Americans and Israelis are operating out of Kurdish bases.
The repercussions of the March 23 attack upon the National Intelligence Service headquarters in Baghdad continues. The Sunni Political Council condemned Kataib Hezbollah for threatening Sunni and Kurdish intelligence officers. The service has been wrought with divisions with the pro-Iran camp claiming that it is helping the U.S. In fact, the Resistance claimed its attack on the HQ was due to Americans being inside the building.
The Sudani government is still trying its double game with the Resistance. The National Security Council said the Hashd, which the Resistance is part of, could defend itself against attacks. That could be used to justify its operations against the U.S. and Kurds.
At the same time Baghdad has failed once again to rein in the Resistance. Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani appointed National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji to negotiate with the factions to end the violence. So far the talks have gone nowhere. In fact, the Resistance claimed that they scored a victory stating that the U.S. asked for a ceasefire so that it and NATO forces could evacuate Victoria Base at the Baghdad Airport. Sudani has tried carrots and sticks with the Resistance but neither has worked.
The Resistance suffered more losses. The Hashd Anbar Operations Command was hit by a U.S. airstrike in Habaniya. The head of the command Saad Dawai al-Baiji along with Haider al-Mamouri senior Hashd security official and Qasim Mussel western operations commander and 12 others were killed. Another Hashd base in Ninewa was attacked leaving one wounded. Kataib al-Tayar al-Risali’s 31st Hashd Brigade was hit twice by jets in the Baiji district of Salahaddin wounding seven. Finally, the head of the Hashd Commission Falah al-Fayad’s guesthouse north of Mosul along with the Babylon Brigades were both bombed.
On the oil front a tanker with two million barrels of Iraqi oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz. No details were given about how this was accomplished but Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani claimed on March 17 that a deal was made with Iran to allow Iraqi petroleum through the strait. Before the war Iraq was exporting an average of 3.4 million barrels a day. That means this tanker will do little to help Baghdad with its revenue which is almost completely dependent upon oil.
SOURCES
Asharq Al-Awsat, “Baghdad: An Intelligence Battleground in Iran’s Latest War,” 3/24/26
Bas News, “Airstrike on PMF Base in Western Iraq Kills at Least 14,” 3/24/26
- “Sunni Political Council Condemns Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah Threats,” 3/24/26
Kurdistan 24, “Peshmerga Ministry Reports Six Martyred, 30 Wounded in Missile Attack,” 3/24/26
- “PMF Anbar Operations Commander and 14 Fighters Killed in U.S. Strike” 3/24/26
Al Mada, “Intelligence Drones and a Fragile Truce: 5 Years of Mysterious “Suicides” Among Security Officers!” 3/24/26
Mahmoud, Sinan, “Air strike kills 15 PMF fighters in Iraq in deadliest attack since Iran war began,” The National, 3/24/26
Al Masalah, “Air strikes target the headquarters of fallen al-fayad and Rayan al-Kaldani in Mosul,” 3/24/26
NINA, "Seven Popular Mobilization Forces Fighters Injured in Two Treacherous Strikes in Salah al-Din,” 3/24/26
Reuters, “Iraq allows Iran-backed militia umbrella group to respond to attacks on their positions,” 3/24/26
Salem, Amr, “Oil tanker carrying Iraqi crude crosses Strait of Hormuz,” Iraqi News, 3/24/26
Shafaq News, “”Islamic Resistance” announces striking 23 targets in Iraq and the region,” 3/24/26
- “The Popular Mobilization Forces mourn Dawai: Political forces must take a stand against repeated American violations,” 3/23/26
Al Sumaria, "Targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces office in Mosul,” 3/24/26
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